Mt. Airy Art Garage Presents RUST3, An Exhibition On Creating Art Out Of Refuse, November 10-11

The first version of Renewed Urban Studio Tent (RUST) was located on the vacant lot across from the Kimmel Center in August 2012, a recycled shelter made from old bottles, wood and slag cement. It's being recreated as RUST3 at the Mt. Airy Garage next month. (Photo courtesy RUST)

Join the Mt. Airy Art Garage (MAAG), a creative center for emerging and professional artists, at the opening of RUST3, aka Renewed Urban Studio Tent, on Saturday, November 10, from 6-8 p.m.

The sentiment behind RUST is that if nature was allowed to reclaim the land in the city, it would undoubtedly re-use humanity’s refuse and incorporate it into its new life.

Originally created out of recycled materials in August 2012, RUST3 began as a wigwam-like structure on the vacant lot at 313 S. Broad Street. It was then made into a second version just across the street, which displayed the bones (wooden arches, living green roof, clay tiles with iron oxide prints of abandoned houses, and windows made from glass bottles) and skin (refuse mixed with slag cement creating collages) of the structure itself.

At the opening of this newest version of RUST, aptly titled RUST3, artists Andy Heisey and Andy Walker illustrate how materials found in Philadelphia can be recycled into a new structure that builds on the once-contaminated urban soil. A video of the process of the project will also be displayed.

On Sunday, November 11, at 10 a.m., Heisey and Walker will host a hands-on tutorial on how to recycle different types of materials (like old bottles or CDs) in artwork. Suggested donation is $10.

Also that day, MAAG will host a panel titled “Artists Taking Back Philadelphia — Brick by Brick” at 2 p.m. featuring Walker and Heisey; Gary Steuer, Chief Cultural Officer for Philadelphia; and Shari Hersh and Dre Urhahn from Philly Painting (a Mural Arts program). It will address how artists have been assisting and continue to assist in the changes needed to preserve our collective future. Admission is $10.